Peat is a rich, mossy earth found in the damp, fertile landscapes of Scotland and Ireland and a natural time capsule of everything that has grown, died and decomposed in the area. This is why the region that it’s from is so important.
WHERE IS IT FROM?
Different regions create different types of peat, which in turn give different flavours. Islay peat is influenced by the salt air of the Atlantic ocean that surrounds its shores, where Highland peat is made up of the earthy remnants of the ancient Caledonian Forest.
The Ardmore®
Bowmore®
Connemara®
Laphroaig®
HOW IT’S USED IN WHISKY
So what does this do for whisky? In the whisky-making process, peat fires burned in a kiln infuse smoke in the germinated barley, which in turn imparts a rich, distinct smokiness in the flavour of the finished spirit.
Cutting
First, the hard top layer of the peat beds is peeled back to reveal the softer peat underneath.
To collect this soft peat, specialist peat cutting tools are required, shaped to slice through the ground and dislodge rectangular blocks of the damp, organic soil, ready to be dried.
Peat Cutting Tools
In Gaelic, the peat cutting tool is called the ‘tairsgear’ (pronounced ‘tarashker’).
DRYING
Once the peat is cut from the ground, blocks of peat are laid out across the moors to begin drying. After several weeks, they’re taken to local crofts and piled into large peat stacks where the drying continues—often for months at a time—before smoking.
PEAT SMOKING
The dried peat is slowly burned in a furnace called a kiln, where the smoke rises to infuse the germinated malt. The amount of phenols absorbed depends on the length of exposure to the peat smoke, which has a direct effect on the taste.
Phenols
When peat burns, it produces organic compounds known as phenols – these are what give the whisky its smoky taste, and are measured in Phenol Parts per Million (PPM). The higher the PPM, the more intense the initial peat-smoked taste.
DISTILLING
Moved from the kiln, the peat smoked malt endures the same mashing, fermentation and distillation process as any other non peat-smoked whisky. The only difference is that the malt used has been peat-smoked. Through this production process to make the spirit, the PPM levels drop to around 1/3rd of the original level in the peat smoked malt.
MATURATION
The type of cask that the peated whisky is matured in and the time that it is matured, greatly affects the finished flavour — ready for tasting. For example, a sherry cask can produce a rich, dry finish.
Smoke to Oak
The combination of cask types used, the time in the casks and the house style of the peated spirit all combine to create our diverse whisky range.
Cask Info – European Oak ex Oloroso Sherry Cask
At 500 litres in size, the European Oak ex Oloroso Sherry Cask is considered a big cask, with a low wood/spirit ratio. The cask flavours include dark fruits, dark chocolate and has a rich and heavier mouthfeel.
Cask Info – American Oak ex Bourbon Cask
At 200 litres in size, the American Oak ex Bourbon Cask is a smaller cask with a higher wood/spirit ratio. The cask flavours include vanilla, citrus, coconut and has a sweet, refreshing and lighter style.
SMOKE NOTES
Just as there are multiple factors that contribute to the overall tasting notes in whisky, there are also multiple factors that contribute to the specific peat smoke flavour in whisky. Smoke notes are defined by the region of the peat, the new-make spirit of the distillery, the phenol parts per million (PPM) and the maturation process, which creates a completely unique peat smoke flavour profile.
New Make Spirit
The starting point for any great whisky is the new-make spirit. This is essentially the unaged spirit that comes from the still and is completely unique to every distillery.
SMOKE RING
We categorise smoke notes as aromatic, earthy, medicinal and smokiness, in referenvce to the types of flavours the peat smoke delivers to the overall tasting notes. The smoke ring is used to communicate the intensity of these smoke notes within each individual expression.
Touch the different areas of the smoke ring to explore the individual smoke notes.
Hover over the different areas of the smoke ring to explore the individual smoke notes.
The higher the level of smokiness, the more intense the character.
Aromatic
These all-natural notes come from the flora and fauna of the region. This can give a perfume of heather, jasmine, dried herbs, eucalyptus, roasted coconut or even rich leather.
Earthiness
Evokes the sense of a walk through the forest in autumn. Earthy flavours can range from freshly turned earth, dried leaves, and charred oak to wild mushrooms and cigars.
Medicinal
Comes from the phenols released in the peating process – can cover creosote, sweet liquorice and shoe polish. Like a vintage apothecary or pharmacy.
